SENATOBIA - Sophomore Darren Davis earned his second-highest career point total, as three Northwest players reached double figures in a 74-70 battle against Southwest Mississippi on Saturday evening.

Davis, a native of Olive Branch, posted 26 points with six rebounds, as the Rangers improved to 5-12 on the season and 1-4 inside conference play. Southwest Mississippi fell to 10-9 overall and 1-3 in the MACCC.

From the opening tip, both teams battled in a knock-down-drag-out for 40 full minutes. Tylik Weeks helped the Bears strike first with a quick three-pointer, but Davis' jumper helped the Rangers strike back quickly.

Southwest Mississippi pushed its early lead to 8-2 off a three-pointer by Mark Drone, but a 30-second timeout helped Northwest regroup to eventually pull within a point, thanks to consecutive layups by Davis and Devin Moore.

An 8-0 run helped the Bears pull back to an 18-10 advantage with 12:22 to go in the first half, but Davis sent in a three-point swish to bring Northwest back within five.

Southwest Mississippi once again went on a mini-run, capped off by a breakaway dunk from Jahshawne Joseph near the 10-minute mark. The Bears led by 10, only to have Northwest pull back within four just a few minutes later.

Trailing 30-23 with four minutes remaining in the opening half, Moore and DeShun Dunn knocked down back-to-back three-pointers, once again slicing the deficit to a single point. Joseph responded with a jumper for Southwest Mississippi, only for Dunn to hit another three on the other end, tying the contest at 32-32.

Despite the offensive boost, the Rangers failed to score over the final two minutes of the half, as Southwest Mississippi went into halftime with a 40-32 advantage.

Though the Bears opened the second half with a quick basket that sent the lead back to 10, Northwest knocked around the Bears in the paint to bring the score back within five. Davis would then sink back-to-back three-point shots, giving the Rangers a brief 48-47 lead with 14:08 remaining.

Southwest Mississippi got the lead back to six, but the Bears were unable to shake off Northwest for the rest of the game. Thanks to a few defensive stops, the Rangers pulled back within a point on a Nolan Wells layup at the 7:31 mark, but Southwest Mississippi once again got the lead back to five with less than five minutes left.

Back-to-back baskets from Moore helped re-energize the Rangers, including a fastbreak dunk with 3:44 left that prompted a Southwest Mississippi timeout. Trailing 64-63 at that point, Northwest fell back behind by four, only to tie the game on a jump shot from Dunn and take a 69-67 lead off a pair of free throws from Wells.

LeVionne Lindsey missed the back end of a pair of free throws with roughly a minute left, helping Northwest go back ahead by three off a jumper from Dunn. Davis would then hit three critical free throws down the stretch, sealing the victory for the Rangers.

Northwest shot 42 percent from the floor and 26 percent from three-point range. The Rangers also made 71 percent of their free throws, while outscoring Southwest Mississippi 26-8 in points off turnovers.

In contrast, the Bears shot 44 percent on the evening and 82 percent from the charity stripe. Southwest Mississippi also shot 25 percent from beyond the arc, but finished just 1-of-8 in the second half.

Davis also had four steals in addition to his stellar offensive performance. Dunn and Moore accounted for 15 points apiece, with Dunn collecting five assists and four rebounds. For his part, Moore was credited with three assists, two blocks, two steals and a pair of rebounds.

Jordan Ealey provided seven rebounds off the bench, finishing just one ahead of Nolan Wells' six rebounds. Wells, an Atlanta native, also provided six points and three steals, while Thomas Tangle had eight points in a strong reserve effort.

Four Southwest Mississippi players reached double figures, led by 20 points from Weeks. Joseph notched a double-double for the Bears, earning 17 points and 14 rebounds, while Drone and Lindsey added 11 points each.

Next up for Northwest is a Monday road test at Mississippi Delta. The Trojans (8-10, 2-2 MACCC) have lost three of their last four, including Saturday's 85-65 loss at East Central.

Both teams met earlier this season in Senatobia, with the Rangers earning a 72-56 non-conference victory on November 30.

Tipoff from Moorhead is slated for 7:30 P.M. Fans unable to attend can view the game on YouTube by clicking here or searching "MDCC Trojans". Read Full Article